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I'm just not sure what you're referring to. Fulop is driving the revitalization of Newark Avenue almost singlehandedly. I've seen him at neighborhood meetings where the neighbors are strongly against local development, but he's for it. I think he understands how important development is to downtown Jersey City. Just because he's against developer contributions doesn't mean he's against development. I haven't followed every issue, and maybe he's voted against some projects you're for, but in general I think he's absolutely for sensible development.

If Healy and Fulop both run for mayor next time -- it is very possible that you will see neither Healy nor Fulop as mayor. I really hope Jersey City doesn't get a really bad mayor because of this.

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I am not.

I am very concerned that he'll bring the development that JC has experienced so far to a grinding halt.

He'll need to convince me that he's not anti-development if he wants my vote.

So far I have not been impressed.

Check this one out!

http://stopstevelipski.com/

It makes me crazy that Fulop is the only one who sees these contributions as a problem. Lipski, showing himself to be a scoundrel, responds with personal attacks against Fulop, saying that he's grandstanding and that he wants to hurt less well-off candidates, instead of addressing the issue itself.

Meanwhile, our awful mayor hates the idea because he knows Fulop will be his chief competition in the next election. It's in his best interest to block anything Fulop tries to do, so that Fulop doesn't have a record of successes to point to when he's campaigning.

I'm really longing for the day when I can say "Mayor Fulop." Albany finally got Spitzer to shake the graft out. Can't we have some intelligent reform, too?

bravo mr.fulop

Wow. This has more drama than the soaps. Anyone know when the next General & Mayoral JC elections are?

Fulop: Vega and Lipski rake in developer $$$

Wednesday, January 24, 2007
By KEN THORBOURNE
JOURNAL STAFF WRITER

Jersey City Downtown Councilman Steve Fulop lashed back Monday at colleagues who criticized his developer pay-to-play proposal, accusing them of taking personal potshots at him in the press.

Fulop directed most - but not all - of his ire at City Council President Mariano Vega and Journal Square Councilman Steve Lipski.

Vega was quoted in a local weekly newspaper as stating Fulop is "probably the wealthiest member of the council," so he can afford to ban developer money, since "he (Fulop) can raise money from other wealthy people when it comes time to run."

And, in a letter to The Jersey Journal, Lipski accused Fulop of "impetuous lawmaking" and attempting to "grandstand."

Jersey City Mayor Jerramiah Healy also panned Fulop's plan in a letter to the Journal, arguing Fulop's idea was undemocratic.

At Monday's caucus, Fulop fumed at what he considered unnecessary personal roughness and fired back at Lipski, calling him the "poster boy" for why reform is needed.

Fulop accused Lipski as well as Vega of taking money from developers and failing to file up-to-date financial disclosure statements with the state's Election Law Enforcement Commission.

Fulop, who acknowledged taking developer money himself, ticked off several projects in which he voted against an ordinance that would have benefited a developer; the ordinance was approved, with Vega and Lipski voting for it.

"The council and the mayor just wanted to stay on the developer gravy train," Fulop said.

Lipski told Fulop his letter wasn't a personal attack. His real objection, Lipski said, was "there wasn't any council engagement" and Fulop never consulted with the city's legal department before proposing the ordinance.

"The executive director of the Jersey City Redevelopment Agency was never contacted to talk about the 'gravy train' or any other kind of train," Lipski said.

Vega sat quiet through most of the discussion at Monday's caucus, except to introduce First Assistant Corporation Counsel Joanne Monahan, who told the council that in her opinion the council couldn't tell the Jersey City Redevelopment Agency who to select as a developer since the agency is an independent entity.

In Jersey City, the redevelopment agency "designates" developers. Five members of the agency's board are appointed by the mayor, while the other two are council members.

Fulop's proposal - scheduled for an introductory vote tonight - would ban developers from giving campaign donations to the mayor and council members while the city is figuring out who to "designate" to build a project. The campaign ban would last for the duration of the project.